Compendium in multiple hands. Mostly medical treatises, with some works on pseudo-sciences. See entry at Pinakes (in online resources) for contents and (at the bottom of their entry) bibliography.

Folios are numbered by hand at on the upper corner and with a stamp on the lower one. The folio after 181 was accidentally also given the number 181 by hand, but the stamp-numeration continues on (correctly) at 182. Here we follow the latter.

Fol. 1 greatly damaged on outer columns.

14v Whole-page table of symbols reminiscent of Linear B, labeled with words (ex. gr. μύλα [i.e. μῆλα], ὕδωρ, κλπ.), perhaps as a key to the abbreviations found later in the book.

Fols. 17-26 are a metabyzantine insertion, most containing a dozen cameo portraits of famous physicians and philosophers (including among others Proclus, someone named Leo Hippocentaurus, Apollo (the god?) with a sort of cockscomb hat, several women, and of course Hippocrates & Galen).

41v The page is taken up by the outlines of three standing, human figures. From film BOL.1.2 they seem possibly to have been rubbed out, but more probably never to have been finished.

42r The lower left-hand corner has a small figure, reminiscent of pre-Columbian Mexican art, who appears to be striking a cranioid piñata, vel sim.

51r The upper half of the page is taken up by the figure of a person named ὁ Πίνσος handing a vessel of urine to Theophilus (Protospatharius). Below them are twenty-one containers, labeled by color, incl. λευκόν, ξανθόν, ἐρυθρόν, γαλακτο[ει]δές, γλαυκόν, χαρωπόν, κύανον, &c. For Theophilus, cf. WEST.FLO.2.2 and 2.3.

Bologna MS 3632, folio 51r - Theophilus Protospatharius, On Urines

52v The upper part of the page, a little over a third, has another two figures exchanging a cup. The one standing is clean-shaven and unlabeled. The seated man, with pointy shoes and an impressive forkbeard, has a name beyond our abilities (perhaps with elements from the words διδάσκαλος or διάστημα?).

68v Two bearded figures, Dioscorides seated, a man named Ares standing; between them what appear to be herbs. Symbols (a recipe?) below the image. There follow four pages of a long list of plants, incl. αἰγύλωψ, νάρθηξ, κρόκος, κλπ, κλπ. A small child seems to have taken a pen to the ms., but not affected the text.

97v Two seated, bearded figures in discussion, each holding a parchment vel sim., with similar documents on a stand between them, Ὀρειβάσιος & Φίλιππος.

101v A number of lines partly stricken through, but mostly still legible despite such editing.

102r-123r Many pictures of animals scattered throughout the text and taking a fair amount of space, incl. a horse, dog, seal, bear, lion, frogs («βάτραχυ», accent sic), ants, various fowl (incl. a griffin on

172v Aëtius sits, with writing upon a stand, before four or five women, whose caption seems to read «γυναῖκες».

183r Philotimus, seated, sees an ἀσθενής, with something coming from the latter’s mouth.

188v A bearded man sits before a woman and two children, one with her hand on his knee and the other holding a chalice. The woman hands him, or takes from him, a rectangular item. Between him and them is a snake, whose chin he has his hand under.

205v A (woman?) titled ὑπόλοφος hands an object to a bearded man, whose name we can’t make out.

209v/210r Charts for alchemy or astrology or other pseudo-science and an image of Philo Judæus at a table with strange objects. A list follows.

214r Magnus Sophista, a second character, (a Cappadocian?) and Cyrus. A potion or some such thing is involved.

218r A large figure of Octarius and a smaller of (Γείλινος?).

255v Serapion and Praxagoras; between them a youth with mortar and pestle.

260r Two figures, a large, bearded Erasistratus and a shorter, clean-shaven Ἀλεξανδρεύς.

268r-272v Astronomical charts and figures.

286r Leo Sapientissimus, seated with writing before him. Several pages following have oracles or such, half a dozen per page.

312r A human anatomy, his various parts assigned astrological symbols vel simm. His membrum virile is labeled, whether in earnest or in jest, ψῶλος.

315r Eudoxius the Egyptian astrologer holds a long scroll and speaks to three smaller men. Several pages follow of explanations of signs.

321v Another anatomy, given similar signs.

335r Large image of concentric circles, apparently a (heliocentric?) cosmos.

337v/338r Pictures, the first perhaps of an orchard.

341v The astronomer Hercules and a disciple.

345r An image of alchemical or mystical appearance of two figures on a path.

346r A master and disciple.

346v-349r Various figures seeking φώτισις.

350r Text crossed through, as in disapprobation, but quite legible.

350v An astrologer and his victim.

351v A lecanomancer or hydromancer, and his.

354r Man with towel and smiley face. Other semi-marginal pictures follow, including another smiley face (355v) and a charming deer (356r).

358r A mermaid on the sea, or lizard-woman on land (difficult to tell from microfilm) at a table, perhaps wearing phylacteries against the evil eye. Below are women’s names (Μαρία, Εἰρήνη, Χριστίνα, Κατερίνα κλπ.).

361sqq. Charts, &c.

378r-379r Dioscorides, a dog, the mandrake, Wisdom, &c. On 378v sit Magnanimity, Wisdom and Prudence, with a baby centaur at their feet. On the following page, the poor dog has died («κύων ἀνασπᾷ τὴν [sic] μανδραγόραν, ἔπειτα ἀποθνῄσκων»). Many pages follow of mostly or exclusively images, mostly of plants (incl. the mandrake again on 403v); quite beautiful.

418r-419v Various figures, including “Chiron the Hypocentaur” (presumably the Hippocentaur) and the angel Gabriel.

Graphic depictions of female demons are also to be found in the art of the Byzantine times, e.g. so‑called “Beautiful lady from the Mountains” from the magical papyrus Bononiensis 3632. She is shown as a woman with long hair, a crown on her head and a fish‑tail and feet armed with claws.

An “everyday” use of some tetragrams is documented by magic recipes preserved in late Byzantine codices, such as the codex Bononiensis Universitatis 3632 copied in the 15th century. In a passage entitled Εἰς ἐχθρούς (“on enemies”) the following advice is given: Γράψον κυριακῇ, ὥρᾳ πρώτῃ: ις χς ν κ, φχφπ, ττχφ, χχχχχ (“Write on Sunday at the first hour (after sunrise): [four crosses with the tetragrams] IC XC N K, ΦΧΦΠ, ΤΤΧΦ,(44) ΧΧΧΧΧ(45)”

(46) Because occult sciences and everyday magic were quite widespread in Byzantium (47) it is certainly possible that these instructions were indeed followed by those who wanted to protect themselves against enemies.(48)
Otherwise unknown tetragram, perhaps a mistake for well attested ΤΤΔΦ which was resolved by Walter (op. cit.) 212 as Τοῦτον [Τοῦτο Walter] τὸν Τύπον Δαίμονες Φρίττουσι (“The Demons are afraid of this sign [i.e. the cross]”).

The fifth X was probably added by mistake: the most common resolutions for XXXX are Χριστὸς Χάριν Χριστιανοῖς Χαρίζει and Χριστὸς Χριστιανοῖς Χάριν Χαρίζεται ( both “Christ grants grace to the Christians”).

From Crossing-Sun: A rather simple operation from Bononiensis 3632 (Hygromanteia) also makes use of a table of evocation. Interestingly, the protective circle is traced on the table itself and the spirit bound with a thrust of the knife at the centre of it. It’s unclear, however, where exactly the manifestation is to take place. It goes as follows:

Lay a new table cloth on a new table, and place an empty bowl upon it, together with two lit candles on candelsticks, one at each side. At the other sides of the table place another earthen bowl, a censer with lit charcoals and incense, and various peeled fruits. Then, take a knife with a black handle with your right hand, trace the circle three times around the table, and each time recite the following conjuration.

“I conjure you, Mortze, or human ghost, or haunting of this place, come to me now that I invoked you at this table that I prepared for you.

Eat and drink from the food I prepared for you” And when you see that he ate, conjure him this way:

"I conjure you, Mortze, do not defecate, do not urinate, until you tell me the whole truth in whatever I will ask you.”

Do this three times with the knife, around the table. And when you finish the three circles, thrust the knife into the table and recite the following: I nail you here, Mortze, or haunting of this place.

Though this is phrased as if the binding is based on keeping the spirit constrained in bowel discomfort, the element of feeding spirits is common enough both in the genre to warrant suggesting there’s likely a system of evocation in this formula.